Low Thrust VASIMR Trajectory to the Moon, low resolution @benwl

Uploaded January 2009 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

Low Thrust VASIMR Trajectory to the Moon HD

The most important near-future application of VASIMR-powered spacecraft is transportation of cargo. Numerous studies have shown that, despite longer transit times, VASIMR-powered spacecraft will be much more efficient than traditional integrated chemical rockets at moving goods through space. An OTV (space tug) powered by a single VF-200 engine would be capable of transporting about 7 metric tons of cargo from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Low Lunar Orbit (LLO) with about a six month long transit time.

Low Thrust VASIMR Trajectory to the Moon, low resolution

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$Diagnostics Used For The VASIMR VX-200i This is one test firing in a series of experiments with the VASIMR VX-200 plasma rocket prototype. The rockets 1st stage (a Helicon plasma source) was fired at 30 kW using a state-of-the-art solid state RF power supply, and the rockets 2nd stage was fired at 100 kW using a second solid state RF power supply. Argon gas was used as the propellant, and gives a distinctive purple/blue/UV glow. The second half of the video is slowed down to 1/10 speed during the firing of the second stage. The plasma diagnostics that can be seen in this video are situated on an x-y motion stage capable of moving side to side 200cm and in an out 500cm with 0.5mm precision. The diagnostics include an Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA) to measure ion energy, a Force Target to measure the plasma thrust, a 10-collector Langmuir probe array to measure plasma properties, and an additional Langmuir probe to measure the plasma properties within the rocket core. A second stationary 10-collector Langmuir probe array can be seen hanging from ceiling. Because of the extreme temperatures and heating within the plasma exhaust, the diagnostics are all constructed out of refractory metals, high temperature ceramics, or graphite (or all three). The rocket and everything else seen in this video is located within a vacuum chamber, used to simulate the vacuum environment of space. The VX-200 is the precursor to the VF-200, a flight demonstration unit that is intended to fly on the International Space Station (ISS). http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/dec/HQ_08-332_VASMIR_engine.html www.adastrarocket.com$

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